The invention relates to an intermediate holder which has at least one holding element for fastening the intermediate holder in a water outlet of a sanitary outlet fitting, and at least one fastening means for releasably fastening a sanitary functional unit.
It is already known that the use of a mouthpiece may be dispensed with by using an intermediate holder for inserting a jet regulator or similar sanitary functional units into sanitary outlet fittings. It is furthermore known that fixing the sanitary functional units in such sanitary fittings is enabled by using an intermediate holder for inserting sanitary functional units into sanitary outlet fittings, without said sanitary fittings having to be machined in time-consuming and cost-intensive operational steps such as milling a suitable thread into the water outlet.
A sleeve-shaped intermediate holder by way of which a sanitary functional unit designed as an insert cartridge may be releasably fastened in a sanitary outlet fitting is already known from EP 1 554 438 B1. The intermediate holder has the property of sealing in an encircling manner the sanitary functional unit designed as an insert cartridge in relation to the intermediate holder, and the intermediate holder in relation to the internal circumferential wall of the outlet fitting. Two annular seals are thus required, this entailing the disadvantage that leakages between the intermediate holder and the outlet fitting or between the intermediate holder and the insert cartridge, respectively, may arise in certain circumstances. Moreover, the use of two annular seals means a higher cost input.
A sleeve-shaped intermediate holder is also disclosed in DE 10 2006 057 206 B4. A sanitary functional unit which here is configured as a jet regulator is conjointly plug-fitted with a sleeve into the water outlet of a sanitary outlet fitting. The sleeve-shaped intermediate holder has barbs which by means of axial displacement of the functional unit in relation to the intermediate holder engage in a radial manner in the internal wall of the water outlet and in this manner guarantee fastening of the intermediate holder in the water outlet of the sanitary outlet fitting. However, the known intermediate holder likewise has the already mentioned disadvantage that two annular seals are required in order for the annular zones between the intermediate holder and the outlet fitting, on the one hand, and between the intermediate holder and the functional unit, on the other hand, to be sealed. In order for the annular seal which has to seal the annular zone between the sleeve-shaped intermediate holder and the water outlet to be attached, a corresponding groove on the intermediate holder is moreover required, so as to guarantee for the annular seal to be disposed on the external circumference of the intermediate holder. This represents the further disadvantage of corresponding machining of the intermediate holder, having corresponding cost and time inputs.
An adapter for connecting a water outlet fitting having a circular connector cross section to a water outlet having a non-standard connector cross section, for example an oval connector cross section, is disclosed in DE 33 44 614 A1. The adapter here has an external clamping sleeve which encloses an internal conical sleeve, the clamping sleeve and the conical sleeve being provided with sliding faces which bear on one another and which lie at an angle in relation to the central axis.
A sanitary outlet fitting having a water outlet and a jet regulator which is assigned to the water outlet is disclosed in DE 20 2007 007 667 U1, said jet regulator having a jet-regulator housing with installed parts located therein.